Compensation for IVC Filter Recipients

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters commonly used as an alternative to blood thinner medications in patients at risk for thromboembolism have been linked to a higher-than-expected rate of failure, and thousands of adverse event reports have been submitted to the FDA in connection with failed IVC filters manufactured by C.R. Bard, Cook Medical and other medical device makers. According to reports, there is a serious risk of these blood clot filters breaking apart and perforating patients’ veins, or migrating to the heart, lungs and other major organs, complications that can put patients at risk for serious injury or death. If you or someone you love had an IVC filter implanted to reduce the risk of pulmonary embolism or blood clots, and you have suffered a major complication like filter migration, filter embolization or filter fracture, contact an experienced product liability lawyer as soon as you can to discuss the possibility of pursuing compensation from the device maker for your injuries.

IVC Filter Lawsuit

IVC filters have been marketed as a means of protecting patients from dangerous blood clots, but what many patients implanted with an IVC filter are now realizing is that the devices can fracture, migrate and puncture the inferior vena cava, which has prompted a growing number of blood clot filter lawsuits against filter manufacturers. Thousands of product liability lawsuits have already been brought against the manufacturers of failed IVC filters, alleging that the medical devices are dangerous and prone to failure. The lawsuits against Cook Medical have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, the lawsuits against C.R. Bard have been centralized in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, and the lawsuits against Cordis have been centralized in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda.

The product liability lawsuits currently pending against C.R. Bard, Cook Medical and other IVC filter makers allege that the manufacturing companies knew or should have known about the problems with their medical devices, yet failed to properly warn healthcare providers and their patients about the risks of IVC filter placement. The plaintiffs in the IVC filter litigation seek to hold the device makers accountable for their adverse health events, which they allege are due to defects in the design of certain IVC filter devices, and juries have already awarded millions of dollars in damages to IVC filter recipients. In March 2018, C.R. Bard was ordered to pay $3.6 million in damages to a woman who alleged that a Bard IVC filter fractured inside her body, and in February 2019, a federal jury awarded $3 million in damages to a Georgia woman who suffered serious complications as a result of her failed Cook Medical IVC filter.

IVC Filter Side Effects

Adverse side effects that have been linked to vena cava filter (IVC) devices include:

  • Filter migration
  • Filter embolization
  • Damage to organs
  • Perforation of the IVC
  • Filter fracture
  • Filter failure
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Tilting of the filter
  • Irretrievable filters
  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
  • Wrongful death

History of the IVC Filter

"In 2014, the FDA issued a safety communication, recommending that retrievable blood clot filters be removed between one and two months after the risk of pulmonary embolism has subsided, in order to reduce the risk of potentially life-threatening complications."

The FDA has issued several warnings about the potential side effects of IVC filters, the first in 2010, at which time the agency reported that it had received more than 900 reports of adverse events involving IVC filters since 2005, including 328 reports of device migration, 146 reports of filter component detachment, 70 reports of a perforated vein or organ, and 56 reports of filter fracture. A number of studies published in recent years have also indicated that IVC filter complications occur more frequently than previously expected. In 2013, for instance, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that questioned the effectiveness of IVC filters and highlighted the unexpectedly high rate of IVC filter failure. In 2012, the American Journal of Medicine published a similar IVC filter study, indicating that the filters only benefit a small percentage of pulmonary embolism patients and expose the rest to a potential risk of side effects. The following year, the FDA issued an updated warning about the medical devices, recommending that doctors remove retrievable IVC filters as soon as possible after the risk of pulmonary embolism has subsided. However, according to another study published in JAMA in 2013, only about 8.5% of retrievable IVC filters are removed successfully.

Manufacturers of IVC Filters
• C.R. Bard
• Cook Medical
• Boston Scientific
• B. Braun
• ALN
• Cordis
• Rafael Medical
• Volcano Corporation
• Argon Medical
• Rex Medical

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Did you or a loved one have a blood clot filter implanted or suffer side effects or complications from an IVC filter?

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